PPG Industries has appointed Timothy M. Knavish to vice president, automotive coatings, Americas, effective March 1. Knavish is currently PPG general manager, automotive coatings, Americas. He will continue to be based at the PPG automotive coatings headquarters in Troy, Mich., and to report directly to Cynthia A. Niekamp, vice president, automotive coatings.

Knavish joined PPG in 1987, in flat glass engineering at the company's corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh. In 1993, he became process engineer at PPG's Meadville, Pa., flat glass manufacturing facility, and he was promoted to supervisor, technical services, there in 1995. In 1996, Knavish returned to Pittsburgh as manager, operations planning and scheduling, automotive glass. He was named superintendent, production, for PPG's Evart, Mich., automotive glass manufacturing facility in 1997.

Knavish moved to the company's architectural coatings business in 2000, becoming plant manager for the East Point, Ga., manufacturing facility. In 2002, he moved to Pittsburgh as director, supply chain, automotive replacement glass, and in 2004, he became global director, manufacturing and supply chain, for the automotive refinish coatings business. Knavish moved to Australia in 2005, as managing director, Australia and New Zealand coatings, and general manager, automotive refinish. In 2007, he assumed responsibility in Troy, Mich., as general manager, automotive coatings, Americas.